Galileo didn't use lenses to bend light in the way we typically think of telescopes. He actually used convex lenses to converge light, bringing it to a focus. This allowed him to magnify distant objects, like the Moon and planets.

Here's a breakdown:

* Convex lenses are thicker in the middle than at the edges, causing light rays to converge (bend inward) and meet at a focal point.

* Galileo's telescope used two convex lenses: one with a long focal length (objective lens) and one with a shorter focal length (eyepiece).

* The objective lens gathered light from a distant object and formed a real, inverted image at its focal point.

* The eyepiece then magnified this image, allowing Galileo to see the object as larger and closer.

So, while Galileo didn't use lenses solely to bend light, he utilized their ability to converge light to create the world's first astronomical telescope.